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Frank Kroetch, Seattle, WA

Updated Feb 11, 2024
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Frank Kroetch, Seattle, WA
Seattle Transit System I.D. card issued to Frank Kroetch when he was attending Broadway High School in Seattle, Washington.
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Frank’s mother passed away when he was five years old, and Frank was sent to Bellingham, WA to live first with his Uncle Earl Ferguson, then with his Aunt Thelma Ferguson Greenough.
Little has been known about his school attendance, other than the fact he dropped out of high school at age 16 to go into the Navy during WWII.
However, I have just found the following articles so we now know where dad attended grade school!

Dec. 11, 1935 Lawrence, Whatcom County grade school:
“Perfect attendance records are held by these children, Frank Kroetch, Fred Kroetch……”

Mar. 12, 1937. Lawrence, Whatcom County grade school:
“The teachers of the grade school announce perfect attendance record and honor roll. For six months the following have neither been absent nor tardy: Frank Kroetch, Fred Kroetch…..”

June 9, 1940. Lawrence, Whatcom County grade school:
“Lawrence, June 8- The spring festival and graduation exercises were presented at the Lawrence grade school Monday, June 3. Talks by the eighth grade graduates were: “My Hobby”, by Frank Kroetch…..”
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This is a fantastic discovery!
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Frank Kroetch
Frank Kroetch was one of four siblings and was born to Dorothy Elaine (Ferguson) Kroetch and Hollis "Joe" Joseph Kroetch. As far as I know (grandson), Frank and his brother & two sisters had a bit of a rough childhood, having been separated into different groups living with various family members. He was one of the youngest to serve on the USS Killen for the U.S Navy in World War II. In fact, he lived his entire life thinking he was the youngest crew mate on the ship (he lied about his age to serve in WW2), but found out in the late 1990's at a Killen shipmates reunion in San Francisco that one lad had him beat by a handful of days. He married Marian "Joyce" Benning and had two children Kathy Pinna and Pamela Marks. He later married Carol (Antonsen) Kroetch and they raised John Kroetch. He was a very smart man (with an IQ that tested between 165 and 185) and good looking - charismatic! He was a life-long entrepreneur starting numerous businesses in various industries after attending the University of Washington and graduating from San Jose State University. He lived in both California (where his daughters were born) and Washington (where he was born and died). Frank was never baptized (as far as his child Kathy knows) and has no burial site. He was cremated and his ashes distributed between his wife and two daughters. He was quite a human being and we all miss him every day.
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Pam Marks
My life-time love of geneology and old photos led to the concept of Ancientfaces back in 1999....through the site I have made contact with previously unknown cousins in Australia, Tasmania, England, Scotland and various states in the US, broadening and enriching my family stories, photos and family relationships. The names I am researching resided in and/or settled the following areas: South Wales; Scotland; Northern Ireland; Normandy; Germany, Belgium & the Netherlands; Virginia; West Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, Idaho and Washington state; first wave of settlers in the Hudson River & Mohawk River Vallies; founding fathers of New Haven, Middlesex and New London Counties, CT, along with Suffolk, Norfolk & Middlesex Counties in MA; first wave of settlers to Quebec and Ontario, Canada. Also, I am a member of the Mayflower Society after tracing my maternal side to John Billington, a Mayflower passenger ( with his family) who settled in Plymouth , and signed, the Mayflower compact.
Daniel Pinna
I want to build a place where my son can meet his great-grandparents. My grandmother Marian Joyce (Benning) Kroetch always wanted to meet her great-grandchildren, but she died just a handful of years before my son's birth. So while she didn't have the opportunity to meet him, at least he will be able to know her. For more information about what we're building see About AncientFaces. For information on the folks who build and support the community see Daniel - Founder & Creator.
My father's side is full blood Sicilian and my mother's side is a combination of Welsh, Scottish, German and a few other European cultures. One of my more colorful (ahem black sheep) family members came over on the Mayflower. He was among the first to be hanged in the New World for a criminal offense he made while onboard the ship.
Lori Russell
My mother is Pamela Thompson. My dad is Richard William Russell.
My mom grew up in Fenwick Michigan. My dad grew up in Hart Michigan. They had 2 kids together. Living in Michigan.
Kathy Pinna
I'm a Founder of AncientFaces and support the community answering questions & helping members make connections to the past (thus my official title of Founder & Content and Community Support ). For me, it's been a labor of love for over 20 years. I truly believe with all of my heart that everyone should be remembered for generations to come. I am 2nd generation San Jose and have seen a lot of changes in the area while growing up. We used to be known as the "Valley of Heart's Delight" (because the Valley was covered with orchards and there were many canneries to process the food grown here, which shipped all over the US) - now we have adopted the nickname "Capital of Silicon Valley" and Apple, Ebay, Adobe, Netflix, Facebook, and many more tech companies are within a few miles of my current home in San Jose (including AncientFaces). From a small town of 25,000, we have grown to 1 million plus. And when you add in all of the communities surrounding us (for instance, Saratoga, where I attended high school, living a block from our previous Mayor), we are truly one of the big cities in the US. I am so very proud of my hometown. For more information see Kathy - Founder & Content and Community Director
My family began AncientFaces because we believe that unique photos and stories that show who people are/were should be shared with the world.
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